The Paris Olympic Games have faced substantial backlash after a performance in its opening ceremony that many have described as an offensive mockery of the Christian faith. Subsequently, Bishop Robert Barron urged Christians to stand up and defend their faith after the ceremony was “mocking this very central moment in Christianity.”
Barron noted that after returning from an inspiring Christian conference, he wanted to relax and enjoy the Olympics. However, he was met with performance in question. “So I come from that experience, and I come home, and, you know, I love the Olympics, so I turn on the opening ceremonies the Olympics. What do I see now?” he said.
The bishop slammed the “gross mockery” that he was met with during the broadcast of the opening ceremony. “And it’s in Paris, France, a city I love. I spent three years as a doctoral student there. What do I see But this gross mockery of the Last Supper, and I won’t describe it any further, just go online. It’s gone viral. You can see it,” he continued.
Illustrating the importance of the scene that was apparently being mocked, Barron noted how the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus was the most critical moment in Christianity. “But this France felt, evidently, as it’s trying to put its best cultural foot forward, the right thing to do is to mock this very central moment in Christianity where Jesus, his last supper gives his body and blood in anticipation of the cross.”
He further described the rich Christian history that France seemingly departs from in the performance. He added, “And so as presented, though, is this gross sort of flippant mockery France, which used to be called the eldest daughter of the church parish that gave us Thomas Aquinas taught there, and Vincent de Paul was there. King Louis, the ninth St Louis, France has sent Catholic missionaries all over the world. France, whose culture, and I mean, the honoring of the individual of human rights and freedom is grounded very much in Christianity.”
Barron criticized the move, in which he suggested that France “felt the right thing to do was to mock the Christian faith.” He then asked a rhetorical question as to whether they would have made a similar mockery of the Muslim faith, stating, “You know, a question I would pose, we all know the answer to it. Would they ever have dared mock Islam in a similar way? Would they ever dreamed of mocking in this, in this gross, you know, public way, a scene from the from the Quran.”
The prominent Bishop wrapped up his statement, by calling for Christians and Catholics alike to be bold in their faith. “As I say, we all know the answer. I think folks, what’s interesting here is this deeply secularist, postmodern society knows who its enemy is. They’re naming it, and we should believe them. They’re they’re telling us who they are. We should believe them. But furthermore, we Christians, we Catholics, should not be sheepish. We should resist. We should make our voices heard,” he said.
Watch Bishop Barron’s statement below:
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